Fire control for animal stunner



Oct. 15, 1957 J. w. BROOKS ET AL 2,809,391

FIRE CONTROL FOR ANIMAL STUNNER Filed July 12, 1956 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 FIG. 1

INVENTORS JOHN W. BROOKS NEWTON M.REED MERL ALKER Oct. 15, 1957 J. w. BROOKS ET AL 2,809,391

FIRE CONTROL FOR ANIMAL STUNNER Filed July 12, 1956 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 i l 34 31 29 2s 22 25 26 P 36 35 24 INVENTORS JOHN w. BROOKS NEWTON M-REED MERLE .WALKER R. v mam Oct. 15, 1957 J. w. BROOKS EIAL 2,809,391

' FIRE CONTROL FOR'ANIMAL STUNNER Filed July 12, 1956 v s Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTORS JOHN W. BROOKS NEWTON M. REED MERLE H. WALKER United States Patent CONTROL FOR ANIlVIAL STUNNER John W. Brooks, Mohawk, Newton M. Reed, Herkimer,

and Merle H. Walker, Ilion, N. Y., assignors to Remington Arms Company, Inc., Bridgeport, Conn., a corporation of Delaware Application July 12, 1956, Serial No. 597,534

6 Claims. (Cl. 17-1) This invention relates to an improved fire control device for a captive piston animal stunner of the type shown in the application of Aitken et al., Serial No. 555,357, filed December 27, 1955.

This invention has as its pricipal object an improvement of the safety of such a tool through prevention of the accidental firing thereof.

Other objects and advantages thereof will become apparent from consideration of the following specification, referring to the attached drawing, in which:

Fig. l is a side elevational view, partially in section, with certain parts broken away, illustrating the improved fire control device in safe position.

Fig. 2 is a similar view, showing the tool conditioned for firing.

Fig. 3 is a similar view showing the tool as fired, by the engagement of the contact trigger with the skull of an animal.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged partial vertical sectional view on the line 4-4 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is a partial side elevational view, partly in section, showing a modified form of fire control unit.

Referring to the drawing by characters of reference, it will be seen that our invention is applied to an animal stunning tool of the type shown in the application abovereferred to. For details of the internal construction of such a tool reference may be had to that disclosure.

It will be adequate for an understanding of the present invention to note that the tool comprises an action unit 1, similar to theaction unit of a conventional Single shot bolt action rifle, which is adapted to fire a blank cartridge in a chamber 2 communicating With a barrel unit 3. A piston within the barrel unit 3 is held captive by the cylinder head 4, and suitable means are provided within the barrel unit to absorb the shock and stop the piston. A piston rod 5 extends through the cylinder head 4 and is provided with a stunning member 6 adapted to strike a stunning blow on the skull of an animal.

As in the case of the invention above-identified, a contact trigger 7 projects in advance of the retracted position of the stunning element 6 to fire the device when it is brought into contact with an animals skull.

The contact trigger of the present invention, however, is reciprocably supported at its front end by a bracket 8 mounted on the barrel unit 3 and is urged forward by a spring 9 engaged between a movable bracket 10 and a stop collar 11 on the trigger 7. The rear end of trigger 7 passes through a bore 40 in bracket 10 and is reciprocably supported thereby. In the position shown in Fig. 1, the rear end of the contact trigger is in alignment with a hole 12 in the handle 13 of the tool, so that engagement of the contact trigger with any object simply results in an idle retraction of the contact trigger which passes freely through the hole.

The movable bracket 10 is mounted on the handle 13 with capacity for linear movement along a line substantially at a right angle to the axis of the barrel unit and may be so moved by a flexible cable unit 14 extending longitudinally in a groove 15 in the handle grip 16 to a reciprocably supported block 17. The block 17 carries a cam pin 18 which is engaged in a cam slot 19 in a grip safety member 20. Grasping this grip safety member results in the application of tension to the cable 14 and pulls the movable bracket 10 away from the barrel unit, bringing the rear end of the contact trigger along into substantially parallel relationship to the barrel unit, as shown in Fig. 2. A return spring 21 is provided to return the movable bracket 10 to its normal position, as shown in Fig. l.

A trigger extension 22 is reciprocably supported in the handle 13 and in an arm 23 on the sear blocking bar 24 and provided with a compression spring 25 engaged between a collar 26 on the trigger extension and the arm 23 to apply spring pressure to the sear blocking bar 24 when the trigger extension is retracted. As an additional safety feature, the trigger extension is provided with an annular recess 27 which is normally in front of the handle 13 and positioned to be engaged by a half round notch 28 (see Fig. 4) in the movable bracket 10 to prevent retraction of the trigger extension unless the movable bracket has been pulled away from the barrel unit as by operation of the grip safety. When the grip safety has been operated, the trigger extension is not only released from notch 28 in the bracket 10 but the bracket brings the rear end of the contact trigger into alignment with the trigger extension.

The sear blocking bar 24 is supported for fore-andaft reciprocation in a fire control housing 29 secured to the receiver, and is provided with a return spring 30 acting to return it to a forward position therein. In its forward position, the blocking bar provides support beneath the sear 31 which has an angular face 32 engaging the firing pin head 33 in such a position that a component of main spring force acts to swing the sear downwardly out of holding engagement with the firing pin head. A sear spring 34 exerts a light force tending to return the sear to its upward, firing pin holding, position in which the sear support bar may slide in beneath it.

In the modified fire control assembly shown in Fig. 5, we have applied the same reference numerals to parts which are identical to those in the other modification and have applied the character A to the reference numerals designating the parts which are modified equivalents of those of the modification shown in the rest of the drawmgs.

A trigger extension 22A is reciprocably supported in the handle 15 and in an arm 23A on a sear blocking bar 24A. The trigger extension also passes through a bracket 37 secured to the receiver and is provided with a fixed flange 33 positioned behind the bracket. A return spring 30A is mounted on the trigger extension 22A and engaged between the bracket 37 and the collar 26 on the trigger extension, tending to return the trigger extension to its forward position.

A compression spring 25A is mounted behind flange 38 on the trigger extension 22A and bears on the arm 23A on the sear blocking bar to apply spring pressure thereto whenever the trigger extension is retracted. As a matter of convenience, in this modification the sear spring is a torsion spring 34A mounted on the pivot for the sear 31A. The operation in this modification is identical to that already described and the principal advantages are simplicity and ruggedness of parts.

Summarizing the operation of the improved fire control, the grasping of the grip safety positions the contact trigger and trigger extension in alignment with each other and simultaneously disengages the movable bracket from holding engagement with the trigger extension. In this position, the engagement of the contact trigger with a resistant object such as the skull of an animal retracts both contact trigger and trigger extension relative to the barrel assembly and compresses the spring on the trigger extension so that it applies sufficient pressure to the sear support bar to move it rearwardly out of supporting engagement with the sear. vUnder the force of the main. spring .319, the searis cammed down out of engage: m h he fi n P n ead and the firing P n p in forwardto fire the cartridgeand impel the stunning memher into forcibleengagement with the skull of the animal. The sear support bar 24 is provided with a stop shoulder 35 which engages a spacer 36 in the fire control housing to prevent excessive movement of the bar. The use of spring 25 as the means of applying force to the bar 24, and the slidable connection of the trigger extension therewith, prevents damage to the fire control mechanism in the event of a greater thannormal degree of retraction of the contact trigger,

Although the invention has been illustrated by only one example, it will be obvious that variations may be made therein which will be substantially equivalent in function and construction; For anexact definition of the limits to be placed upon our invention, reference may be had to the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In apparatus for stunning animals, including a barrel unit, a stunning member in said barrel unit to be impelled from a rearward firing position to a forward impact position by explosion of a propellant powder cartridge, sear retained means on said barrel unit for firing said cartridge and a grip handle extending laterally from said barrel unit, the 'improvementcomprising a reciprocable trigger extension for releasing said sear mounted parallel to said barrel unit and having a forward contact tip, a reciprocable contact trigger mounted on said barrel unit and extending forwardly of said firing position of said stunning member, said contact trigger being tiltable in its mounting from a normal first position out of alignment with said trigger extension to a second firing position in alignment with said trigger extension contact tip, means normally urging said contact trigger to said first position, and manually operable means on said grip handle for tilting said contact trigger from said first to said second position.

2. The improvement defined in claim 1, comprising spring means urging said contact trigger to said normal position, said manually operable means functioning in opposition to said spring means to bring said contact trigger into operative alignment.

3. The improvement defined in claim 2, said contact trigger and trigger extension in said normal position being out of alignment with each other so that operation of said contact trigger without operation of said manually operable means permits said contact trigger to slide idly by said trigger extension.

4. In apparatus for stunning animals including a barrel unit, a stunning member in said barrel unit to be impelled from a rearward firing position to a forward impact position by explosion of a propellant powder cartridge, sear retained means on said barrel unit for firing said cartridge, and a grip handle extending laterally from said barrel unit, the improvement comprising in combination sear release means'mounted for reciprocation longitudinally of said barrel nnit, a rod-like reciprocable contact trigger disposed forwardly of said sear release means and extending forwardly of said firing position of said stunn memb f ward. ri e s ppo n said barrel n t s ppo t means for th ear a e d of Said r r comprising a braeket reciprocable on said handle from a first safe position in which the said trigger end is disposed t 9f ali nmen wi h. sa d sea r ase means, to a ond tiringposition in which said trigger is disposed in operative alignment with said sear release means, means rm lly ur n said bracke a d first P o and means for moving said bracket to said second position comprising a movable grip lever on said handle and nka gu lin said ip nd sai r e 5. The improvement recited in claim 4, in which said sear release means comprises a trigger extension disposed in the path of reciprocation of said bracket, and said bracketcomprises an element disposed to engage and block movement of said trigger extension when said bracket is i aidfirst os ti n- 6. The improvement defined in claim 5, said trigger extension being provided with a portion of reduced diameter and said movable bracket being provided with a complementary latch portion which interlocks with said portion of'reduced diameter.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED, STATES PATENTS 1,472,309 Prisk Oct. 30, 1923 FOREIGN PATENTS 6,49l Great Britain a Nov. 5, 1914 218,433 Great Britain July 10, 1924 

